Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-01-22

--4siar accounts, Inventories etc, are
published IN the reports of the officers Of the
psnitsntlarT, and have directed your at
tentIons IN other portions Of this message,
to Ike instances Of unnecessary print
The present officers are not Justly subject
to criticism for such publications as these.
The laws, either by specific direction or by
implication, require the fullest detailed in
formation from them, and the custom OF
years, with the full knowledge and assent OF
the Legislature has added the weight of its
authority to this practice. But It is time 70
put a stop to this useless expense. Each
year, as the departments and institutions Of
the state multiply and grow, the reports Of
their condition, needs etc, increase in
number, and the tendency to include in
them matter of no public value or interest,
Is constant. The legislature should, there
fore, make thorough investigation OF this
whole subject and give specific directions
touching it, to the end that all unimpOrtant
matter may be eliminated from published
reports, and that a duplication Of satisfies
and facts may be avoided. An enormous
reduction in the annual printing bill of the
state can thus be effected.
In this connection, it seems proper, also,
TO call your attention to an abuse that has
grown up during recent years IN the legisla-
sure, and Which results In a large and IN
necessary expense. Very many of the bills
submitted IN one house re introduced, IN
duplicate, IN the other, and are ordered
printed by each, thus mourning double eX-
oA4Gz many EGAsOLl1J G0Og dE0 DE44G5u II
full in the journals Of both houses. The
biennial messages OF the governor to the
legislature are printed IN the journals of
both houses, as were also the accompanying
reports transmitted to the Legislature during
the special session held last year. If rule
was adopted forbidding the printing Of bills
in duplicate, and If a Joint committee on
printing should be given authority to deter
mine in which Journal messages or reports
should be Transcribed and published,
material reduction Of expense could be
effected.
TIE PROHIBITION LAW.
Three general elections have been held in
Kansas since the adOption of the prOhibi-
ton amendment to the constitution. At
-ach Of these elections the people have re-
a hrH their decision against the manufac-
-ure or sale of intoxicating liquors as a beV-
rage, by eleCtIng Legislatures pledged to
the support Of the amendment. At the cleo
ton in November last this question was a
paramount issue, and again, by an emphatic
majority, the sovereign verdict of the PEG
pie Was pronounced against the saloon. No
fair minded citizen can, no law respecting
citizen Will, refuse 70 respect this Judgment.
II is your duty, gentlemen of me legisla-
ture, to see that laws are enacted which will
give practical effect to the decision Of kae
people on this question l stated, IN my
message a year ago, that while the law of
1885 embodied some defects, its general re-
suits had been very favorable. have seen
no occasion to reverse this Judgment.
great reform has certainly been accom-
plished IN Kansas. Intemperance % steadily
and surely decreasing. In thousands of
homes where want and Wretchedne55 and
suffering were once familiar guests, plenty,
happiness and ContentAent now abide.
Thousands OF wives and children are better
clothed and fed than they were when the
saloons absorbed all the earnings of hus-
bands and fathers. The marvellous material
growth of the state during the past six
years has been accompanied by an equally
marvellous moral progress and It can be
fairly and truthfully asserted that IN no
portion of the civilized world can a million
and half of people be found who are more
temperate than the people Of Kansas.
NECESSARY AMENDMENTS.
The prohibitory law, however, enbOd;es
some defects, and should be amended.
Firgt-'rhe authority it vests in probate
judges Is arbitrary, and may be, as IN some
cases 1t has been, abused II probate Judge
grants druggists permit to a person of
bad character, any citizen should have
right to appeal from the judges decision to
the district court, and show that such per
NIT should be revoked And, on the other
hand, If a probate judge refuses a permit to
q druggist of good character, the druggist
should have right to appeal, IA his own be-
half to the district court, and show, If he
can, that he has been uniustly Disseminated
Second-Instead of the statements now
now fled, in purchasing liquors for msdieal,
mechanical or scientific purposes. an AFT
daTit should be required, and druggists
should be authorized to administer oath5.
Severe penalties should be imposed on any
one who mskes false afidavit for the pur-
pose of procuring liquor, and on druggists
who fail to retUrn to the probate judges all
afidaVits fled.
Third. probate judges should be allowed a
hxed sum for the services they are required
to perform under the prohibition law, and
should be prevented, under penalties from
collecting the fees they now collect on state
m6uts filed. The attorney general holds
shRt this fee of i've cents on statements fled
20 illegally charged, but it has been demand
ed and paid, in nearly every county of the
state, under q species of duress, the arbitrary
powers lodged in the hands of probate judges,
enabling them to enforce collection without
Serious resistance. The large sums thus col
iected have, too, tempted the CuDidity OF
probate judges, and IN many instances, have
brought about a ioOseDess in the granting
OF permits that has enabled men who had no
practical knowledge Of the drug business,
and no intention OF engaging In q legitimate
drug trade, to establish So called drug stores,
which are merely liquor stores in disguise.
This class Of drug stores ought TO be, and
can readily be, abolished.
Fourth, The authority OF the state board
of pharmacy should be enlarged, and all
druggists should be required to obtain q
certificate from that body before they can
obtain permits from the probate judge As
a class, the druggists Of Kansas are az hon
orable men as are those engaged IN any 9th
eE legitimate business. Ihey ars as earn
estly anxious as any other citizens can be to
purge their profession Of those who are dis
erediting it by selling liquors for unlawful
purposes. And, acting through represen-
tatiVe board Of their own profession they
can be relied upon, I believe, to cooperate
With and promote the work OF driving out
OF the drug trade those Who ara degrading
1t by violating the laws OF the state.
I firmly believe that these changes VIII
largely, If not entirely, remove ell reasons
BE objections to the present law and am
confident that they will eject great ana
desirable reforms in the sale and use OF in
tozicating liquors.
THE ENFoRCENENr OF Law.
Our general theory and practice Of Law
enforcement, however needs attention.
Section 3 of article !, Of the constitution,
or of the state shall be vested in a governor,
who shall see that the laws are faithfully
executed" This provision Of our organic
laws is, practically, a dead letter, because
the governor to compel local officers, who
are alone entrusted with the enforcement OF
the laws, to DO their duty. Nearly eleven
years ago one Of my predecessors called the
attention Of the legislature to this subject
IN special message IN which he said;
$40 the local officers the execution Of the law
is directly entrusted. Over them the executive
has no control. Indeed, the procedure prescribed
Dg 70 d4eA-tAL tAGIt44CL 4uIal o.
dcers is 20 cum brous and dilauory IN its nature
that the inevitable delays often work complete
-s1hRarsion Of Justice j far from recon-
Inendlng that extraordinary powers pc vested N
the executive. The exercise OF 5uch would be
distasteful to me, and would be Ecore likely to
bring neproaeh than honor 70 any ehleI naesls-
trats. 1t occurs to me, however, that IN cases
where local officers persist nJly omit refuse td
perform manifest duties, or undertake them with
the evident purpose of defeating the ends OF JUS
tice it Is not sufficient that the penalties OF ths
law ahould be invoked against them; but, where
matters Of importance are at stake, some ems
should have authority to cause the duties neg
lected or slightsd TO be faithfully performed.